August 19

1782 | War of Independence: The Battle of Blue Licks, Kentucky; it took place 10 months after Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown, Virginia.

1785 | Entrepreneur Seth Thomas was born.

1791 | Civil Rights: Benjamin Banneker sends a copy of his Almanac and writes a letter to Thomas Jefferson criticizing his pro-slavery stance.

1812 | War of 1812: The U.S. warship Constitution defeated the British warship Guerriere, earning itself the nickname “Old Ironsides.”

1814 | Entrepreneur Mary Ellen Pleasant was born.

1814 | War of 1812: British forces landed at Benedict, Maryland.

1831 | General Stephen Gano Burbridge, “Butcher of Kentucky,” was born.

1838 | Engineer James Geddes died.

1851 | Pharmacist and entrepreneur Charles E. Hires was born.

1871 | Inventor Orville Wright was born.

1896 | Geologist Josiah Dwight Whitney died.

1902 | Poet Ogden Nash was born.

1906 | Inventor Philo T. Farnsworth was born.

1919 | Publisher Malcolm Forbes was born.

1921 | Author Gene Roddenberry was born.

1930 | Author Frank McCourt was born.

1931 | Hall of Fame jockey Willie Shoemaker was born.

1934 | The first All-American Soap Box Derby is held in Dayton, Ohio.

1937 | SCOTUS: Justice Hugo Black was sworn in.

1940 | Journalist and politician Allan Louis Benson died.

1942 | Actor and politician Fred Thompson was born.

1944 | Author Jack Canfield was born.

1946 | POTUS: President Bill Clinton was born.

1964 | Entrepreneur and politician Pete Ricketts was born.

1965 | Actor Kevin Dillon was born.

1967 | Civil Rights: A Long, hot summer of riots continues in New Haven, Connecticut.

1969 | Musician Clay Walker was born.

1969 | Actor Matthew Perry was born.

1977 | Comedian Groucho Marx died.

1991 | Civil Rights: Crown Heights riot in Brooklyn, New York City.

1994 | Chemist Linus Pauling died.

2023 | Computer scientist John Warnock died.